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Henke as prison guard Desi Piscatella in the series »Orange is the New Black«: »Gift and an honor«
Photo: JoJo Whilden/Netflix / Jojo Whilden / Netflix
The US actor Brad William Henke, known from the series »Orange is the New Black«, is dead. He died on Tuesday at the age of 56, like the industry portal »The Hollywood Reporter« and other US media on Thursday, citing the The actor's agency and other sources around him reported.
Henke died in his sleep, it was said, but there was initially no information on the cause of death.
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Back to basics: Actor Henke attended an NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets in 2015.
Photo: Al Pereira/WireImage
Born in Nebraska in 1966, Henke first played for the Denver Broncos in the American football league NFL.
He later became known as an actor in the role of the gay prison guard Desi Piscatella in the Netflix series »Orange is the New Black«.
This complicated and multifaceted role was a "gift and an honor" for him, he told the "Hollywood Reporter" in a 2017 interview.
Henke played other roles in the war film "Herz aus Stahl" and in "Sherrybaby".
Under Henke's last Instagram post from August, fans expressed their grief on Friday.
"You were so incredibly talented," wrote one user, "this is heartbreaking."
feb/dpa